


Reforged

by Icarius51



Series: ReMade- Jaune Arc's Evolution [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-24 14:59:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2585651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icarius51/pseuds/Icarius51
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaune Arc loses his blade and his will, and must regain it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. shattered.

In beacon academy, there's many teachers who are forgettable. But there are few that are unknown. There is, in fact, only one who is truly a mystery, who is never seen in the halls, and who never has taught a class.

He is the weapon smithing teacher, even though he has never taught a weapon smithing class.

Ozpin hired him and gave him a collection of 3 subterranean class rooms, deep within the cliff that houses Beacon Academy. To get there you must enters a small door in the basement of the main building, follow a winding collection of tunnels and stairwells. And at the end is a single door, locked, with the sound of hammering and ringing echoing from behind it.

Jaune Arc is one of the only students to have been taught by this teacher

Perhaps he is the Only student to be taught by this teacher.

Here is their story

\-----------

The sound of twisting tortured metal echoed around Jaune.

Jaune looked at his blade in numbly, his mind shutting down for a moment. The hit from Cardin had mangled it. no. not just mangled. Destroyed. The blade was warped and twisted. The edge chipped and the point gone, snapped off 3 inches down. he slowly picked up the pieces off the ground, a shard slicing across his fingers without his noticing, drops of crimson slowly sliding over the metal.

His thoughts finally resumed snapping him out of his numb state with a flash of panic and fear. 'This blade was my family's. No way. It's over a hundred years old, it..... it can't be broken. I can't buy a new one!... what can I do!' The thoughts were still echoing through his head as his team crowded around him and helped him slowly return to their dorm. His damaged weapon, shards of metal sharp edges was placed on the desk and Jaune sat therE, looking but unseeing what was before him, not speaking or looking at his team. Finally, Pyrrha called for headmaster Ozpin.

As he arrived, the rest of team JNPR flooded him with words of what happened, only to stop as he held up his hand.

"Stop. I know what's happened. Please let me speak to him privately." The team nodded apprehensive and slowly walked out of the room, Ozpin closing the door behind them. He walked over and pulled a chair up next to Jaune's, and sat watching him. Taking in the boys blank expression and glossed over eyes. His clenched and bleeding hands, wounds that keep bleeding from the cuts he made on accident, but intentionally didn't heal.

"Mr.Arc. can you hear me."

"......"

"Mr. Arc. If you can hear me relax your hands."

"....." Jaune hands clenched tighter..

"Jaune Arc!" Ozpin tone changed to be suddenly commanding. A leader in a battle, not a relaxed and comforting teacher. "Sit up! Look at me!" 

Jaune looked, his eyes seeming to burn with a Blue-white fire. His aura flaring to life around his skin, not a soft white glow, comforting and peaceful, but a menacing fire. White hot and forge ready. His despair had shifted from sorrow and panic to rage and hatred. And Ozpin locked gazed with the monster inside Jaune's eyes, and spoke softly.

"You are Jaune Arc. Leader of team JNPR, who, at this moment, are outside the door in worry. You are not a rageful man. You must reign in the fire inside you." Ozpins voice, quiet as it was, was still strong and forceful. Slow Jaune responded, his body fighting to get the words out.

"I...AM... trying...... It.... burns.... head....master....." Jaune's eyes were flickering as he spoke, the white flames seeming to stutter but not go out. 

"Do not try. Do it." Ozpin voice was softer. 

Slowly Jaune's blue eyes faded back to normal his body revealing his exhaustion, both mental and physical. Appeased that the rage was, if not gone, then contained, Ozpin placed his hand on Jaune's shoulder.  
"Tomorrow you will have a new class, it will last a week, and until you finish all other classes are excused." He held out an envelope. "You will not be with your team for the entire week. Take 2 spare sets of clothes, your combat gear and the remains of your weapon. You will need all of it." He placed the envelope on the desk. Stood and walked away.

"Professor..... what class is this?" Jaune held up the envelope. His voice was drained, hollow sounding.

Ozpin paused at the door.

"Call it reforging. It's a rare class that few students will ever have a need or ability to take. You are one of those." And with that he left, the rest of team JNPR, as well as team Rwby entered in, offering both condolences and cheering up. 

Only Pyrrha noticed the darkness in Jaune's eyes. A shadow that wasn't there before. And as she watched he subtly slid an envelope into his school folders, one she hadn't seen before and she wondered what was happening to him.

What was happening to her friend, her leader..... her love?


	2. Heating the Fire.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaune meets his new teacher.

Jaune stood at a locked door, his bag slung across his back. He looked at the letter in his hand, reading what he is supposed to do. He had woken early and had prepped. Leaving with a short goodbye, as if he would meet them in class, though it looked like Pyrrha noticed... something. But else didn't say anything.

Then he started searching. It took an hour of traveling, heading downwards through clean and boring tunnels and stairs. In the end. It was only a single door. 

But Damn, was it a door. 

It was almost 10 feet tall, made of a dark matte metal with silvery bars embedded across it. the air in front of it was cold enough to show Jaune's breath, though the door itself was warm to the touch. Around the corners and edges were faint signs of a light behind it, and the sound of ringing metal echoed past it, faint and echoing. Taking a deep breath and glancing around, he reached out and knocked on the metal. A moment later the ringing of metal stopped and then the door clanked, slowly swinging open. 

And across the threshold stood a man dressed in a black shirt and faded blue jeans. He was tall, and well built with thick and defined arms and shoulders, a pair of thick tan leather gloves reached past his hands, one of them smoking gently. 

Jaune took this in first because the guys head was above his eye line, but as he tilted his head back he saw the man's face. It had a dark beard, well trimmed and sharply cut. His hair was similarly kept, with a simple part in the black. He had dark blue eyes, and his skin was tanned and leathery.

"Um.... are you the weapon smithing teacher?" Jaune's voice squeaked a bit as he spoke, and he instantly hated that fact.

"Yes. I presume you are Mr.Arc?" His voice was mild, albeit a bit scratchy, the scratches making Jaune instantly a bit more relaxed about his voice breaking when he spoke.

"Yes." Jaune's voice was a bit more stable.

"well then, you may as well come inside, the hallways colder than I like." The man stepped back, holding the door open, and letting Jaune walk in. The room inside was large, almost as big as the main hall in the building above, but while the main hall was clean and elegant in it design, this room was chaotic. The large space was cluttered with dozens of long work tables, none of them seeming aligned with any others, but all of them cluttered with weapons and parts. There were piles of shields, towering in lopsided piles, some ornate, others plain. There were several tables consumed with stacks of spears, tridents, and halberds. Several large barrels held hundreds of simple swords, some curved, others abnormally long. Guns were piled haphazardly, with empty clips and disabled triggers, across dozens of tables, with a large stack of completed and intact fire arms piled near the wall.

Jaune was in awe at the sheer scale of the weapons.

"Wha......"

The door changed shut behind him and the man stepped next to him.  
"Most of these weapons are relics taken from old wars. But a good five or six hundred are my work."

Jaune slowly spun looking at the weapons.  
"W...why? Why is there a Goddamn armory under a school? Who would need this many weapons?"

his voice was a mix of confusion and awe.

The man stopped and looked at Jaune.  
"The people of vale. In the event of the wall falling, and grimm or people too strong for the hunters to fight attacking vale, these weapons are to arm everyone. But that's not the use you will be using them for. Come on. I'll show you your quarters for the next week."

The man walked in to the room, stepping between the stacks of weapons and armor, with Jaune following. The came to a door that lead to a standard dorm room layout, except twice as long and with 3 compartments, each with a sliding wooden door and a small bed.

"Take that one," The man said pointing at the far left door "put your stuff away then come back to the main room." He began to walk away until Jaune called to him.

"Wait, what's your name?" Jaune realized he didn't know.

"You can call me Cygnus." And then he was gone. Sighing Jaune stored his bag away next to the bed, along with the box he had his swords remains in. This done he stepped back into the main room, and looked around, unable to see where Cygnus had gone too....

And then he felt a sting across his cheek, And flinched backwards. startled he turned, seeing Cygnus with a long rapier in hand. The tip dripping blood from where it sliced Jaune's face. 

"What the he-" Jaune began before the metal tip flicked towards him again, almost slicing his shoulder while Jaune scrambled back.

"Listen up Mr. Arc. I'm not a kind teacher. But allow me to explain the rules of this game, which will last several days." As he said this he wiped the blood off the rapier on his jeans and set it down on a nearby table, instead grabbing a one-handed axe. "First. Any weapon is fair game, same with any shield, tool, or armor. Second, all strikes are truely deadly from me, and hopefully from you. Third, you get 4 hours of safety from your room each day. I suggest you sleep during that time." 

"Y-your insane!"Jaune stammered out , before yelping as the axe swung at him in a sharp swing, scraping past his armored chestplate, leaving a shallow scratch.

"So? Does it matter? Will you run, Mr Arc? Will you abandon the Fight?" Cygnus's voice was mocking, his eyes dispassionate. 

"hell NO" jaunes growled reply came. and he let his anger loose. He snatched up a sword from a table with both hands, and with Cygnus grinning faintly in reply, they began to duel.

\-------------

The sound of ringing metal echoed around the room, this time however, it had companions. The sound of grunts and gasps, from hard swings and poor blocks. These sounds lasted for hours, broken by nothing.


	3. Molten Metal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thanks for reading so far! 
> 
> Jaune learns the meaning of the word "exhaustion" and Phyrra meets Cygnus.

Pyrrha was pacing around team JNPR's dorm, arms crossed and red hair swinging behind her. She was worried. She had read the letter from Ozpin while Jaune slept, and knew where he was, but she had a sinking feeling of woody and doubt. She knew Jaune could be an amazing person, and that he learned fast, but she had seen how losing so badly to Cardin had messed with him, and how his blade had broken. In fact, she had almost decked Cardin earlier when he was boasting about his win. Ren and Nora, sensing her mood, had headed off to dinner before her. 

She finally decided what to do, putting her hair back in its pony tail and grabbing her weapons she slipped out of the dorm heading after Jaune.

\-----

"Gah! Fuck." Jaune swore, his current weapon, a long Calvary sword got knocked from his hands by the spear Cygnus wielded. Back stepping, and raising the round shield he grabbed earlier, Jaune reached down and pulled a made from a table, bringing it up just in time to parry the spear thrust towards him. 

Jaune was bleeding from a dozen minor wounds, and his armor was scored with dozens of marks from various weapons. His hair was plastered with sweat, as was his hoodie.

Cygnus however looked fresh, the 2 cuts he had received from jaune over the last 10 hours already healed by his aura, while Jaune had barely managed to close some of his more immediate wounds, like the one above his eye and the ones on his hands, while not draining himself. He had gone through almost 30 shields and more then a hundred weapons, most of which now littered the shop in college nears and under tables. Jaune had quickly learned to not go after a dropped sword or axe, since it left him open for several painful kicks and cuts across his shoulders and back.

Cygnus had also gone through dozens of weapons, as well as many different styles as well, dual wielding swords on minute and then wielding massive hammers and long spears a moment later. And occasionally using a gun for dangerous sneak attacks.

In the first 2 hours Jaune had been tired, but not exhausted. Now, after almost 10, he was beyond conscious thought, instead running on instinct as he blocked and parried Cygnus's attacks. And then Cygnus's scroll beeped, and he disarmed Jaune with a flick of his hand grabbing him and pinning Jaune against a table.

"Dinner time." Cygnus had spoken rarely throughout the day, commenting only with one or two words. "Grip more" " shield higher" "move faster" "hit harder" 

Jaune relaxed and nodded, and dropped the shield, while Cygnus stepped towards a cupboard in the corner, pulling out a tall glass of milk and a plate of bread, meat, and cheese for Jaune. Setting them down, he went around and gathered the weapons off the floor, letting Jaune slowly eat the cheese and meat, the protein would help his muscles heal and strengthen as he slept. 

Jaune began to focus and heal his most annoying cuts and bruises, using the last of his aura to do so. 

Cygnus sat across the table from him, eating a similar plate of food. He spoke.  
"Why are you here."

Jaune looked up at him and replied.  
"Becasue I dreamed of being more then I was told I could."

Cygnus looked at Jaune.  
"This is not a job for dreamers. Are you more then they said."

Jaune stopped. His mouth closed and eyes lowered as he thought.  
"Not yet."

Cygnus slammed his hand flat on the table  
"Wrong. You just kept match with me for ten hours of sparring. Ozpin suggested I start with only eight." His sighed and motioned to Jaune's arm "Hold out your hand."

Jaune held out his hand tiredly and Cygnus clasped it in his. And suddenly Jaune could see their auras, Jaune's a faint wavering white, Cygnus's a dark brown color. He sat there confounded as it flowed down his arm, healing wounds into small scars, and blisters on his hand into calluses. Jaune marveled at the feeling, at the sheer control and power Cygnus held. And he spoke with out thinking.  
"Who are you really?"

Cygnus chuckled softly, shaking his head.  
"Go sleep Jaune. We'll continue tomorrow."

Jaune Heistated, then nodded and slowly stood, walking to his room and quickly passing out of exhaustion on his cot, half dressed.

\---------

Pyrrha stood at the door and pushed slowly against it, slowly opening it enough to slip in. She glanced around and saw no one, although she was surprised to see hundreds of weapons laying around what appeared to be a work shop. Opening the door more she stepped inside the room shield and spear up in guard position. 

"Hello miss Nikos."  
The voice emanated from behind her and Pyrrha spun shield up to see a tall man in a black shirt leaning next to the door. 

"Are you the teacher?"  
She spoke slowly eyes darting around and she noticed he had a empty sword sheath at his side.... Jaune's sheath. Her eyes flicked and she saw he also held the box Jaune had packed his swords pieces into.

"Yes. My name is Cygnus. I know you are the "champion" Pyrrha Nikos, here to see Jaune. unfortunately he's sleeping after having sparred with me most of the day, and likely won't wake for several hours." 

The man began to walkel towards a door on the far side of the room, purposely walking within arms reach of Pyrrha, who lowered her weapons and sheathed them. Curiously attentive to this man, she followed.  
"What are you doing with his weapons?"

"I'm suppose to fix them. I was hoping you would assist me."  
His voice was purposely stable and unassuming as he reached out and opened the door, Pyrrha trailing only a few feet behind.

"How would I assist you?"  
The room they entered was circular and warm, with a large pit in the center, filled with a strange trough above it and filled with red dust crystals. there was a small table with an assortment of tools and several clay bowls of various rocks and pieces of metal. It was simple looking, but confusing. Most metal smiths used traditional forged 

"You would hold the metal while I hammer it. For how I'm doing this I Will need a second pair of steady hands." He poured the pieces of Jaune's sword into the trough.

"....sure."

He nodded and gestured to a lever near the wall, and Pyrrha pulled it, the red dust crystals below the trough suddenly burning to life, beginning to melt the shards of Jaune's blade. At the same time, Cygnus carefully emptied he metals and ores from the bowls into the mix stirring it slowly with a long crystal rod. Within half an hour of intense heat, the metals were one and had become thicker, less liquid, more like mud or wet clay. He pointed to the lever and Phyrra pulled it once again, the red dust crystals suddenly falling cool, leaving the trough of hot metal glowing in the pit.

Cygnus stood.  
"We must leave it for the day. Return tomorrow same time. Then we will begin to shape it."

Pyrrha remembered why she came and asked the teacher, some what overly hopefully.  
"Umm... can I see Jaune?"

"Not today miss Nikos. But tomorrow you and him will both be needed for this. Head to your bed and rest. Jaune is fine, and so are you."

Pyrrha hesitated, but then sighed and nodded, letting Cygnus lead her to the door. She headed back up the tunnels, arriving back at the dorm to ren and Nora eating pancakes. She smiled and joined with them, mind at ease for the first time in two days.


	4. Hammer and Anvil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the actual smithing and stuff. Also a bit of arkos fluff.
> 
> As always, feel free to comment on how you think the story's going.

Jaune rolled to his feet, sword and shield already up in time to parry a strike from the saber in cygnus's hand as it slashed at his face. He lunged forwards, the long sword in his hand slashing up in a vicious cut which Cygnus parried with his shield, leaving himself open to a bone rattling slam from the round shield Jaune held. Cygnus took it, rolling his shoulder back with the motion and responding with a slash that cut across Jaune's nor over extended knee, causing him to fall and land on the ground, panting.

"Dammit. That was close."  
Jaune muttered, leg healing quickly with help from his aura as he stood up. He instantly reached out for a short hand axe, the long sword having skidded away in the fall. 

Cygnus used his aura at the same time to heal the bruises muscles in his shoulder, tossing the saber and shield away for a steel quarterstaff. They threw them selves into another bout, and this time Cygnus wrapped his aura round the staff and swung, blowing Jaune backwards into a suit of armor that lay piled on a bench.

"Relax. It has been 14 hours. Our bout has ended." Cygnus set the staff down, walking towards Jaune. Who was still entangled in the armor, and pulled him out.

Jaune grinned, and relaxed his aura. "It's thanks to what you taught me this morning. Using it to combat my exhaustion. It's better then a cup of coffee." He stretched his arm using his aura to heal a pulled muscle and a bruise from where he landed.  
"What now Cygnus?"

Cygnus nodded and pointed at the door to the forge. "Wait there. I need to collect something. Don't touch the forge equipment yet." 

Jaune nodded and walked off, massaging his shoulder as Cygnus stepped to the front door and opened it, revealing a Pyrrha who was just about to knock on the door.   
"Oh... Hello professor cygn-"

"I'm not a professor. Just a teacher. Come in."   
Cygnus stepped back and gestured into the room.

Pyrrha stepped in, looking nervous. " where's Jaune?"

Cygnus pointed at the forge room door. "Go say hi."

Pyrrha started walking and then sped up, in seconds she was running to the door and bursting in to see Jaune, his face with several faint bruises he saw Pyrrha and his face lit up, and he stepped towards her and she suddenly hugged him, shocking herself with the act so much she froze in place.

"Pyrrha?!" Jaune was surprised by seeing her, he didn't know why she was here, but after a moment he relaxed and hugged her back.

"I'm glad to see you Jaune! Ren and Nora have been worried about you." Pyrrha stepped back blushing softly as she took in Jaune's battered clothing, full of minor rips and scuff marks. "What happened to you?" 

"Umm... I've been training with Cygnus. He's an amazing teacher hehe, a bit aggressive though." Jaune trailed off running his hand through his hair. "It's mostly been straight up sparring so far, though he taught me a trick with my aura to counter exhaustion."

Pyrrha looked at him closer, noticing how his stance had changed slightly, and how he seemed much more defined physically, his hands covered in sword fighters calluses.she frowned slightly and opened her mouth the spe-

"Alright! Time to get to work!" Cygnus barged into the room, wielding a massive forge hammer with veins of red through it, a pair of welding goggles along his neck and wearing a charred leather apron. 

"Wha?" Jaune looked confused and off guard.

"Right now, Mr Arc, we will be reforging something for you.

Cygnus's grin was startling as he reached down with one gloved hand and picked up the slab of metal from the metal trough. The metal was colored a pale white, with an odd swirl of bright red through it. He placed it down on the massive anvil and pulled out 2 pairs of thick gloves, handing them to the confused Jaune and the apprehensive Pyrrha. 

"Wait... what? What about Crocea Mors?" Jaune looked around, seeing the blades Shea the next to the door.

"Jaune.... this is Crocea Mors." Pyrrha said, Jaune's expression changing to one of surprise and anger.

"What did you DO CYGNUS!"

Cygnus casually and nonchalantly reached out, slapping Jaune's head hard and quick, grabbing Jaune's attention and surprising Pyrrha.  
"Your sword was broken beyond normal repair. This is how I can fix it. It will be stronger and sharper, it will be lighter. And it will be fixed. Now hold onto the Fucking metal and keep it still!" 

Jaune's expression was focused now, the pain shifting him back to that mentality he was developing for fighting. The focus he needed, shifted over him, and he slid the gloves on, placing his hands firmly and without hesitation on the end of the metal. "Pyrrha, grab the other side." 

Pyrrha saw the change come over Jaune, his shoulders square, his back straight, eyes focused. He is voice was steady, and his eyes were focused on his goal. It was a knights posture. And she was proud. Sliding her gloves on she grabbed her end of the metal. 

Cygnus grinned and hefted the hammer, the face plate suddenly glowing a bright red color from the heat as he lowered his goggles down and began to slam the hammer down. With out the two teens noticing his aura also began wrapping the metal, reaching both Jaune's and Pyrrha's auras and drawing them into the metal slightly, drawing much more from jaune then Pyrrha. As the hammer fell, the metal beneath it suddenly heated, shifting from cool white to a reddish orange. The first few hit only heated the metal, but as he kept hammering, it slowly flattened out and expanded once it was flat and wide, he pulled out a wedge and bent it down the middle folding it with Pyrrha's and Jaune's assistance, and flattened it once again, Repeating the process and making a longer and flatter piece with each fold till it was the size and general dimensions of the original Crocea More, and then Cygnus began hammering softer and more carefully, using the edge of his hammer to shape pieces of the metal, making the red hot metal into a sword. 

After an hour of hammering, he motioned for Pyrrha and Jaune to let go, both of them exhausted by the heat and the constant vibrations of the hammering. As they sat back against the wall, Cygnus heated the metal again with the hammer, before picking up a tool from his table. As the two hunters in training watched, Cygnus smoothed and edged the metal blade, using the tools to give the sword a shape like it use to have, a simple 2 edged long sword, blade intact and the same white it use to be, no evidence of the red that it had earlier. As he finished, Cygnus stepped on a lever on the floor, a deep basin rising next to him where he plunged the sword into, steam billowing as the blade cooled.

When the steam vanished, Crocea More rose from the basin, Jaune and Pyrrha's gaze following the white metal as it dripped and Cygnus swung it by the long tang in a simple test, nodding and muttering as the blade gracefully raced around. Then he went to work, binding and attaching a hilt and pommel. The silence growing as Pyrrha and Jaune slowly fell asleep, cuddled up against the wall together, wrapped in each others arms.


	5. tempering the metal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy Arkos stuff! And a explanation of skill.

Jaune was awakened by a soft brush of air past his neck, it was regular, and slow. As he slowly woke up, some of his muscles, especially his hands, were stiff from the day before. He became aware of a soft and warm pressure across his left side and shoulder and as he slowly blinked his eyes open, saw a lot of.....  
Red  
Red hair to be precise, without really moving he blew softly parting the hair so he could see Pyrrha pressed against him, her arms wrapped loosly with his. He blushed her cute face half pressed against his chest, half breathing softly. For several wonderful moments he simply sat there, staring at her beauty and marveling at how comfortable she was. Then she began to wake up, her eyes growing wide when she saw how close she was to Jaune.  
For a moment they both froze and just stared at each other, blushing softly both. And then Jaune reached up, brushing a lock of hair away from her face and smiling.  
"Morning sleeping beauty."

"J-jaune!" Pyrrha stammered. She had definitely not expected the first thing Jaune to be to be suave, and blushed a very bright red. She was still pressed against him and almost reflexively buried her face against his neck out of embarrassment. 

Jaune paused at this shy Pyrrha for a moment and then he reached up and hugged her, some what awkwardly with one arm, both of them now blushing furiously. Jaune looked around the forge room, which was still warm, glancing at the tools on the table and noticed something.

Or a lack of something.

"Wheres Cygnus?" Jaune murmured and Pyrrha glanced around, before getting up and pulling Jaune with her to their feet. They both opened the door to the main shop in order to see that a table in the center of the room had been cleared. The armor and weapons moved around to make space, and that Cygnus was cooking a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns over a small forge pit.

"Morning, come take a seat" he called, flipping the food in his pan with a casual efficiently, pointing with his off hand to the table.

Jaune and Pyrrha's looked at each other, shrugged, and walked over. Now that they weren't entangled they could see that both of them looked disheveled, with Jaune's hair sticking up more then usual, and Pyrrha's was undone from the ponytail she had it in and drifting loosely around her shoulders. Their clothes were crumpled up a bit, Pyrrha's school uniform and Jaune's combat gear, minus armor. 

They sat down and Cygnus dished up 2 plates, sprinkling the eggs and hash browns with some shredded cheese, and placing them on the table before plating himself some and joining them. Pyrrha and Jaune were both ravenous eating quickly, while Cygnus matched them bite for bite. When they were done, they stacked the plates and moved them to the side. And sat for a moment.

"Alright Cygnus. Where's Crocea Mors?" Jaune Said, his voice calm and relaxed.

Cygnus chuckled. "Straight to the chase Jaune? Maybe you have been learning from me. Your swords right here." He reached down next to him and pulled a cloth wrapped Bundle from a nearby table, placing it between them.

Jaune reached out slowly, reverently and unwrapped the blade. It sat there like a work of art, a white blade with a Blue handle, the edges sharp and the blade unadorned. There was one imperfection, a faint swirl of red at the base of the blade next to the hilt, almost like a maker's Mark. Slowly Jaune grasped the handle and lifted the blade up, feeling how light it was compared to the original, his expression was trancelike. Standing up from his seat he stepped away, moving the blade slowly infront of him. He slipped into a simple pattern and he felt the blade respond to his will with a force of its own, white metal flashed around him as he moved. his motions, normally so hesitant and slow, were now blinking fast and elegant, the sword in his hand flashing throgh the half light of the armory. After a moment Cygnus grabbed a sword and stepped towards him, Pyrrha watching as with a clash they engaged in a duel, Cygnus obviously more skilled and experienced, but Jaune matching stroke for stroke. His form fluid and wild, as if the blade in his hand was a bolt of lightning, they traded blows, never hitting home but soon cloths were shredded with sharp cuts and close calls, both of them moving faster, increasing their tempos as they fought. Finally they struck dual blows, each getting slashed, Jaune across his left side, Cygnus across his right shoulder.they disengaged, stepping back and circling each other, healing up. Jaune reached out almost with out thinking and grabbed a kite shield from a bench as Cygnus picked up a vicious axe In his left hand. Then they went again.

"Jaune. How did you learn that?" She muttered, watching as they engaged again, this time trading fast and vicious blows, each backed by strength of will and force of muscles harder by practice. Jaune kept a semi defensive stance, parrying and blocking more then attacking, but when he attacked, it was with a smooth transition from defense to offence, leaving no openings. finally after 20 minutes both of them stopped and disengaged, stepping back and relaxing. Cygnus reached down and grabbed Jaune's sheathe/shield, tossing it to him. 

"You've learned well. I suppose the aura infusion worked"

Jaune and Pyrrha both looked confused.  
"Ummm.... aura treatments?"

Cygnus laughed. "Yes. These past 2 days you've been literally surrounded by my aura. It has been healing you, strengthening you, and raining you. Every time we clashed weapons, you gained some of my skills and experience. It's nothing noticeable over a single fight or two, but with you being in such close proximity for the last 3 days you've grown stronger much faster then you should have." 

Understanding dawned over Jaune. "Wait, so that's how I've been able to use the spears and dual wield?" 

Pyrrha was awestruck.  
"I... I have never heard of something like this! How is it possible?"

Cygnus held up his hand. "I can't explain it clearly, I don't care about it that much. Miss Nikos, your time with us in here is up. You should head up and get to your classes, after changing into a clean outfit course. I still have one thing to teach Jaune here before I sent him up. And I expect it will take 4 days."

Pyrrha pursed her lips, and nodded. Before leaving she walked towards Jaune giving him a sudden hug. "Come back soon! Your team commands it." And then pausing, she kissed his cheek, making both of them blush before she walked to the door and left, leaving an amused Cygnus and a stunned Jaune behind her.

"So Mr Arc, let's teach you something rare and powerful, shall we?" Cygnus"s voice was humour filled and he drew a new sword from a sheath behind him. It was a dark brown metal bastard sword. This one was his sword, not a simple steel like the rest. 

"Lets. I have an appointment to keep in 4 days. I wanna be there in 3." Jaune raised his sword, preparing to fight once more, his eyes determined and his expression set.


	6. Flourish and Finish.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale.  
> Jaune vs Cardin.  
> The knight and the Barbarian going at it once again.  
> however, no one expected the way this one would play out.

it’s been 4 days since Pyrrha came back from helping reforge Crocea Mors. and she’s getting nervous, the 2 times she’s gone back to check on Jaune, the door to the forge has been locked. Finally, she forces herself to trust him.  
She finally headed to the combat class, where Jaune is scheduled to duel Cardin according to the class schedule, shes nervous. what if something happened to him?....

shes worried. to say the least.

\--------------------------------------------------

Pyrrha sat in class with Ren and Nora, they had picked up on her nervousness and were also somewhat worried as well. though they tried to keep a relaxed air about them. the first match, Ruby and Weiss, passed quickly, while pyrrha was distracted b her thoughts.. and then it was time for the Cardin/Jaune fight. Cardin standing on his side of the arena looking cocky with his mace out. Glynda Goodwitch looked around and looked ready to call it a forfeit when the door on the side of the room opened, Jaune walking out with a simple t-shirt and jeans on, though he had a weird somewhat mechanical looking backpack as well. Crocea Mors was at his side. and he was calm.

“Sorry i’m late, I had to finish up with something.”

“Mr. Arc, It would behoove you to be on time to my class if you wish to pass.” Glynda let loose one of her famous death stares and Jaune simply nodded in a penitent fashion, before walking onto the dais across from Cardin. 

“What’s up Arc, Worried i would break your sword again.”Carding chuckled at his own joke, while Jaune remained calm.

Standing there he waited till Glynda raised her hand to start the 3 second countdown. He reached up and tapped a button on his back packs strap, the metallic bag shifting into a simple set of half plate armor, wrapping his shoulders, neck and upper chest with form fitting and sleek steel plates. once they were in place, it also dropped a simple knights helm to his side which he caught calmly and slid on, flipping a face guard down so that only his eyes were still visible, the armor locking together in some places for stability. he then drew Crocea Mors, the sheathe shifting to shield mode as he held his blade at his side.

the countdown finished and flashed begin, Cardin rushed at Jaune and swung his mace in a vicious swing at the knights head.

The Jaune from a week ago would have been knocked off balance.

This Jaune simply raised his shield, the mace skipping off the surface as Jaune stood there, barely moving as Cardin stepped back from the recoil of the impact. The crowd of students murmuring, interested at how Jaune was fighting. however, Jaune didn't attack, simply putting his shield back in ready position.

“Heh, lucky block Arc” Cardin swung again, the mace coming down in a hard slam towards Jaune, who flicked up his sword up in a sharp motion, parrying the mace to his side. and slamming his shield forward, the sheer force sending Cardin stumbling back, drawing more murmurs from the stands as Jaune, the scrawny goofball, pushed the 6 foot plus Cardin Winchester back a step with one motion.

Phyrra, Nora and Ren were truly stunned, Ren and Nora more than Pyrrha. In his armor, his face covered and his expression unreadable, Jaune was suddenly imposing and dangerous, no longer a lovable blonde goofball, but a stoic and deadly knight of the realm. 

Cardin stood up and charged once again, and began to swing a vicious series of blows towards Jaune. Jaune took one step back, half of the swings missing him and swung his shield, interrupting Cardin and knocking his mace out of the way as he swung his blade up and across, a white burst of energy flowing from the blade as the flat of the blade hit Cardin, the force knocking Cardin off his feet, 4 feet into the air, and back across the dais.

The room went silent, all of the students, and the teachers, suddenly wondering what happened to Jaune, and what that burst of light had been. 

Then Jaune started walking, stepping at a casual pace towards Cardin, who staggered to his feet, shaking his head as he ran at Jaune again, getting mad and fighting stupid.

Jaune stepped to the side and tripped him with a simple kick, slamming his shield into his back and sending him sprawling across the ground as Jaune stood with a short sharp kick, he sent Cardin’s Mace skidding across the room, and then he placed his sword tip to Cardin’s throat.

“Do you retire, Cardin, or do we need to continue.” Jaune's voice, clear sounding through the helmet, was relaxed and calm. where as Cardin was breathing heavily. 

Glynda checked her teachers scroll. Cardin was at 70% aura, while Jaune was at 98%. which meant that burst of energy used very little in terms of power, she vaguely remembered hearing about that type of technique years ago by a man known as Carinus …. was it called…. Auric… something. Amplification? or something along those lines? it was rare, to say the least. but it seemed to be powerful. she was curious where Jaune had been, though she expected it had to do something with that damned soldier, Cygnus, downstairs. she had disapproved of Ozpin hiring him to the weapon smith position, but as she paid close attention to how Jaune moved, she began to reconsider.

Cardin spat at Jaune. “fuck no. I’m not surrendering!”

Jaune sighed and stepped back, letting Cardin stand and retrieve his weapon. while he stood there, sword pointed down. Cardin wasn't reckless this time, and advanced slowly. swinging once as a test, while Jaune simply stepped out of the way, his sword and shield down, leaving him seemingly wide open to attack. Cardin began to swing more and faster and Jaune began to smoothly parry the strikes, Crocea Mors flickering up and redirecting the mace, constantly infuriating Cardin. the entire crowd watching was quiet, with baited breath and soft spoken questions, in awe of how graceful the clumsy Jaune Arc was moving. 

“you done yet?” Jaune commented, voice still calm while Cardin was breathing heavily, red in the face.

“not…. even close…” Cardin gasped out.

Jaune sighed and swung his sword in a quick combination of 4 glowing white attacks, the path of his blade a white streak, each one seeming to hit with the force of a semi truck when they hit Cardin. sending him back across the room several feet at a time, finally pushing him to the edge of the dias, Jaune walking calmly to stay in range of cardin. above the stage, the aura trackers flared to life. Jaune’s aura at 82%, Cardin’s at 12%, just outside the instant disqualification range.

“We’re finished here.” Jaune turned away and walked off, sheathing his sword and collapsing his armor back into backpack form. the helmet being collapsed behind him revealing a calm expression. 

“RAHHH!!!” Cardin charged and swung his mace at Jaunes turned back.

It never even came close to hitting, Jaune smoothly ducked the mace, reached out and grabbed Cardin’s belt and collar in a graceful motion, his aura flaring around his arms as he picked Cardin up, spun around and threw him underhand back across the room, sending him sliding across the floor and off the dias as the aura counter for him dropped to 10%, disqualifying him. from the fight and declaring Jaune the victor.

There was a moment of stunned silence, before Jaune was greeted by a loud and raucous applause from his friends, even Glynda Goodwitch clapped politely at his performance. His expression shifting to a wide and quirky grin. he was rushed by his team, Nora Ren and Pyrrha hugging him as he smiled.

As the class ended he was jostled by teams JNPR and RWBY bombarding him with questions of where he had been, what he did during the fights. to which he responded.  
“its a secret,” Winking with Pyrrha “I promised not to Teach it. But the basic Ide-….” he found himself being shut up when Pyrrha kissed him softly on the lips, making him blush profusely, and allowing the girls of RWBY, and Nora, to make some very loud oohs, awws, and squeals of excitement. 

holding Pyrrha's hand, Jaune and his friends walked to lunch, Jaune with his sword at his side and his armor on his back.

\--------------------

Cygnus, standing concealed in an alcove in the back of the training room Jaune had just fought in nodded. Jaune had picked up the Old school Auric techniques very well.  
he mentally counted off the ones he had taught Jaune during the 4 days they had trained.

Auric charging: Condensing aura for an attack or a shield, the core of the Auric techniques.

Auric Storing: conserving Aura that you naturally release and produce without overloading yourself or stressing yourself out. as well as increasing your immediate output by a significant amount. 

Auric Reinforcement, Imbuing your body and equipment with Aura to strengthen and shield them from damage.

Auric Release, Releasing Aura through a weapon or attack to amplify the force you generate.

the ground work for them came form the basic exercises he taught him the first two days. Keeping your aura released in a constant and slow stream from the exhaustion counter method promoted patience and subconscious control. Carefully using only the aura for what you want to heal from the Healing practice promoted careful regulation, especially over a long period of time.

however….

Jaune himself has a massively powerful Aura, particularly when it came to healing and reinforcement. these techniques fit him better than a glove, hell. they fit like the flesh and bone of his hand...

“You’re a scary kid Mr. Arc, but you have a good soul. Don’t lose it.”

Turning away Cygnus started walking through the halls, pulling out a cigarette as he entered the long path towards his forge. lighting it with a lighter from his pocket. he blew smoke to the side as he walked the dark corridor. when he got to the forge he found that Ozpin was waiting for him. looking at a simple sword that was embedded into the ground, made of brown tinted steel.

“So, How’d Jaune do, Carinus?” Ozpin sat with him by the small forge he had cooked breakfast on the last 5 days.

“Pretty good. he learns fast and has a knack for aura manipulation, he just didn't know it yet. and the names Cygnus now, remember?” He flashed a sharp and bitter grin, his aura flaring around his hand, not brown but pitch black.

“Ah. yes, the First Black hole, Cygnus X-1 they called it, yes? the darkest place in the universe. ...It doesn't suit you.” As Ozpin spoke, the aura around his hand shifted to a warm almond color. 

“No. but with the people I've killed. I can’t call myself ‘Brown’ any more. ‘Black’ is more fitting.” Cygnus’s tone was much more melancholy, and he relaxed, the aura around his hand vanishing.

“I hoped that Jaune would you help cancel your ledger a bit, Balance your scales. as it were.”  
Ozpin sipped at his mug of coffee slowly.

“And I hope you’re right. But how he proceeds with my teachings and lessons remains to be seen. in the meantime, I’ll keep my self imposed Exile here. in the catacombs of the school.” he looked up, taking in the arched ceilings and wide faded murals of the ancient stars on the roof, all but hidden if you didn't know what to look for in the half light of the dust lanterns down around the floor. “I never thanked you, you know.”

“I know, But i never asked for your thanks.” Ozpin stood and began to walk away. Cygnus chucking at the casual air he held.

“hey, maybe next time you can send me a broken student who can actually beat me in a fight.”

Ozpin simply waved casually, the door shutting behind him as he took his leave. Cygnus held up the now burnt out cigarette and flicked it into the forge. standing and stretching as he headed to bed.

\------------------

Deep in the bowels of Beacon academy is a door.

be hind that door the sound of ringing metal echoes, metal; forged by the hammer and the anvil for the dark days to come.

The only students of the man inside start Broken. some breaks are physical, others mental or emotional.

But the teacher is a master smith, and they leave mended.

For the few who are truly broken, they leaved reforged. 

A bar of weak pig Iron name Jaune Arc was turned into a Knights Blade of Folded Steel.

It took time. It took effort. It took will.

But Behind the door ringing with the sound of a hammer and Anvils work, these things lay in abundance to those who work for it.

For the lifeless Black Hole hides a earthy Brown Soul.

And the students come out shining Bright.

 

[END]


End file.
